Chapter Three
Olivia
“You following me, Liv?” Bodhi asks with a charming smile. He is sitting on his back deck with his feet propped up and a book resting in his lap. He brings a mug to his lips and sips on whatever is inside, keeping his eyes on me.
Daisy told me she sold her house but kept her cabin, but I didn’t expect Bodhi to be the one to end up as my neighbor. This setting is honestly shocking, but I’d never admit that. I suppose I just expected… chaos.
“You again,” I sigh and stand up.
“Me again,” he says, setting his cup and book down and standing. We both go to the edge of our deck and end up close enough that we could touch. “How are you?”
“Do you actually give a fuck, or are you just asking so I don’t burn your house down?” I ask.
“I do care, but I would really like it if you didn’t do that,” he chuckles.
“I’m here,” I say. “Kate is about to be here, so…”
“Oh, yeah. Of course,” he says nervously, realizing I’m trying to get out of this conversation. “But, hey. We should sit down and talk sometime, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I agree. We should. I fucking hate him for what he did to me, but we are adults and neighbors. We need to be able to get along. I have enough going on in my life; I don’t need more drama.
“See you around, Liv,” he says as I walk to the back door of the cabin. I pause for a moment and look back at him.
“See you around, Bodhi,” I say. I step inside my door before turning around, but nearly scream the walls down when I turn and see both Kate and Luke behind me. “Goddamn it, guys!”
“I’m sorry!” Kate says, giggling as she hugs me. “I shouldn’t laugh.”
“Give me a fucking heart attack, Kate. Jesus,” I pant. I gasp and grab the counter to keep me upright when the door leading to the deck opens. “What the fuck is up with you people stressing out my heart?!”
“Did you jump the railing?” Luke asks Bodhi, laughing.
“God almighty, you people can’t be screaming like that,” Bodhi says, and he looks panicked. He thought something was wrong and didn’t hesitate to check on me.
“These two assholes scared the hell out of me,” I say.
“I told her we should have made ourselves known,” Luke says.
“He did. I’m sorry. I didn’t think…” Kate says. “I feel bad for laughing now.”
“Oh, don’t go soft on me now, Kate,” I laugh. “My triggers are my problem, okay? Just… Ring the goddamn doorbell or something.”
“Deal,” Kate says with a smile. “Since you’re here, Bodhi…”
“Oh no. Don’t drag me into your shit, Kate,” Bodhi laughs.
“I was just going to say I could leave Luke with you so Liv isn’t so crowded at her parents’ place.”
“Is he babysitting me?” Luke asks.
“Basically,” Kate shrugs.
“Yeah, that’s fine,” Bodhi says.
“I appreciate you, Luke,” I say. “It’s not that I don’t want you there…”
“Don’t apologize,” Luke says, offering me a hug. I let him put his arms around me, and he kisses the top of my head. “Kate can fill me in. We can lure Rhett out and make it a party.”
“Well, at least I know you won’t be hungover partying with Bodhi,” Kate says. “Alright, Liv. Let’s go.”
“Y’all can just… I don’t care. Don’t break anything,” I say, waving off the men in my home. “Luke, can you figure out how he was able to open a locked door? I’d like not to be murdered in my sleep.”
“Don’t worry, Liv. I will wait until you are awake,” Bodhi says with that same charming smile. I roll my eyes at him and walk out of the cabin with Kate. When we get to her car, I sigh and lay my head back.
“What?” Kate asks.
“Why is he so…”
“Different? Hot? Nice?” Kate rattles off.
“Yes,” I laugh. “I want to hate him… I do hate him.”
“You don’t hate him, or you would have kicked him out,” she says bluntly. “I think you still have your feelings hurt, which he deserves, but he is a nice guy. He’s not the same person he used to be.”
“I’m glad for that at least,” I say. “I just need some peace in my life, ya know? I am running on fumes. I still have to worry about Jason…”
“Are you in danger?” she asks, glancing over at me as she drives.
I stare out my window and watch the town pass by.
I can still feel Jason’s hands around my throat, like he’s still here with me.
I suppose, in a way, he will always be with me.
Every time he hurt me, raped me, loaned me to his clients, or earned money off my body, he replaced a chunk of my soul with something rotten.
He broke me, and I’m still trying to figure out how to stitch myself back together.
“Yes,” I say after a while.
Kate nods, but she doesn’t say anything.
What is there to say? Nothing will change the fact that I am always seconds from death.
What I know for sure is that I will never go back to him.
I will never let myself be convinced I can fix him because nothing will fix the evil that resides in him.
Everyone sees him as smart and charming, but I’ve seen the demons he hides.
I’ve seen the rot beneath the charm, and it’s inescapable once he drags you into the depths of despair.
When we pull into my parents' driveway, tears fill my eyes. I have such great memories of this home, and they’re all flooding back to me, one by one.
The first time I stepped foot in this home, I was terrified.
I had just gotten out of the hospital, so I was exhausted and in pain, but Mom and Dad were amazing.
By the time I went to bed, I was comfortable.
They showed me so much love and respect in mere hours that I had never experienced before.
I can hardly remember my biological parents now.
They lost custody and went to jail, but I never really checked in on them after.
Makes me wonder where they are and if they’re better people now or worse.
They were high out of their minds when they tried to kill me, but that is ultimately no excuse.
I hope they’re clean at least, though. Maybe they’re still together and happy.
Kate lets me sit in the car for a while, and she stands on the porch. Mom and Dad join her by the time I get out. I stare at them from a distance with tears rolling down my cheeks. I don’t know why this is so hard. What if they hate me? What if they don’t want me anymore?
When I finally walk closer, they’re both crying but unmoving. Dad simply puts his arms out to offer me a hug, and I don’t hesitate to run to him. Mom and Dad wrap me in a hug, and I fall into near hysteria as I sob.
“I’m sorry,” I cry. “I’m so sorry.”
Dad lifts my face to kiss my forehead and smiles. “Nothing to be sorry for, baby. You are home, and that’s all we care about. Okay?”
“Okay,” I sniff.
“Sit with us,” he says, and I nod. They sit on the wicker couches, and I sit in the chair. I look down at my hands, finding the words I want to use.
“First,” Mom says. “How are you?”
“I’m okay,” I say. “Always overwhelmed, but okay.”
“What happened?” Dad asks simply.
“Uh, well… Jason had a habit of using me to close deals, make money, and pay his debts…”
“You mean…” Kate asks, and I nod.
“It’s not as hard for me to talk about being raped because I guess I've gotten used to it,” I say. “But the way he would hit me…”
“What made you leave?” Mom asks.
“I found out he had been drugging my coffee in the morning to keep me from getting pregnant. It’s not that I wanted kids, but I didn’t want to be drugged either.
I might never be able to have a baby of my own because of him…
I was angry and told him I was done. He got so angry with me.
He went from slapping and punching me to choking me.
I escaped and called the police, but I still ended up with broken bones, a concussion, severe bruises, and a lot more trauma.
It scared the hell out of me, and I took the opportunity to get my shit together.
A lawyer told me I legally could, so I cleared out our joint savings and checking account and ran.
I stayed in random places while I healed, and then came here.
I never showed up for court, so his charges were dropped and he was released. ”
“Oh wow…” Kate says. “So no restraining order?”
“No,” I say. “It would have given him my address. I don’t know if I ever told him where I grew up specifically, so it will take a lot of searching for him to find me. I’m sure he will eventually, but…”
“If he shows up here, the fucker is dead,” Dad huffs. “He’s lucky I don’t go find his ass.”
“No, let’s just focus on Olivia,” Mom says.
“Yeah, yeah,” Dad grumbles.
“How does it feel being home?” Mom asks.
“It’s good,” I say. “It’s weird living on my own, but I’m managing.”
“She lives next to Bodhi in Daisy’s cabin,” Kate says.
“Oh, he’s grown up so much,” Dad says.
“Good-looking, too,” Mom says with a grin.
“Meh,” I shrug.
“Meh?” Kate says dramatically. “Bitch, have you seen that man shirtless? I’d totally use his abs as a washboard for my panties.”
“That’s fucking weird, Kate,” I laugh.
“You know what?” she says. “I won’t tell you anything about who he is or what he has going on because I want you to figure it out. It doesn’t mean the same if I tell you.”
“Why does this feel like a setup?” I ask her.
“Oh, because it is,” she says bluntly. “But I won’t push. I just won’t accept anyone else but him.”
“He tormented me for years,” I deadpan.
“When you were kids,” she says. “At least don’t discount him as a friend. Challenge yourself to let him earn forgiveness.”
“Yeah,” I sigh. “I don’t want to fight with anyone. As long as he doesn’t start his shit, I’ll be okay.”
“Luke is friends with him and Rhett,” Kate tells me. “I guess I am, too.”
“I can coexist with him without starting shit,” I say. “I’m just… I’ll have to get used to it. It’s hard to see him without remembering what he did.”
“I get that,” Kate says. “At the end of the day, you come first. I might be okay with him, but that doesn’t mean you have to be.”
“We should talk to the sheriff about Jason,” Dad says.
“Rhett will be over there with Bodhi and Luke. She could just talk to him,” Kate suggests.
“I don’t want the whole town knowing my business,” I say with a frown.
“Yes, you do,” Mom says. “Let them talk their shit, but know that if he shows up, everyone in this town will have your back.”
“That motherfucker won’t be able to go anywhere or do anything without being noticed,” Dad agrees. “I know telling someone your trauma will be hard, baby, but your safety is more important than your pride.”
“That’s a little harsh,” I mutter.
“What’s harsh would be burying my baby girl because she wouldn’t help herself,” Dad says bluntly. “You know we will tell you like it is, and we will do anything to keep you safe.”
“Yeah,” I sigh. “Alright. I’ll talk to Rhett.”